1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to agricultural crop harvesting machinery. More particularly the invention relates to a crop harvester of the type which may be moved along the ground to extract bulbous crops such as onions from the ground. In one embodiment, the harvester may be towed by a tractor, and in a second or alternative embodiment the harvester is self-propelled having an attached internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A prior art search was conducted at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to examine crop harvesting machinery which might be similar to that of this disclosure. None of the related crop harvesting machines found in the prior art search are structured the same as my harvester, and none are believed to offer comparable harvesting efficiencies and benefits for the same crops when compared to the harvester described in this disclosure by way of example.
Some of the problems existing in related prior art harvesters which I believe I have solved with my invention include, but are not limited to: the undesirable bruising, cutting or nicking of the bulbs; the complete inability to cut-off the top foliage (leaves) and or bottom roots of the bulbs existing in some prior art harvesters; or in those prior art harvesters which can also cut-off the foliage and or roots, the problem of predictably and consistently cutting-off the foliage or the bottom roots at the proper location relative to the bulbs. A further problem is speed of harvesting, which probably will always exist since faster harvesting is generally more economical, and the industry will always be seeking faster harvesters.